Please join the Watts Hospital-Hillandale Neighborhood Association (WHHNA) and Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA) for the annual 2018 Community Volunteer Day on Saturday, March 24, from 1 PM to 4 PM at the 17-Acre Wood Nature Preserve. All are welcome, there will be tasks for every ability level: litter pickup, trail improvements, invasive species removal and wetland gardens maintenance. Water, snacks and gloves provided.

Join Haw River Assembly and the City of Durham for volunteer training in how to monitor water quality through aquatic insect counts (and other critters in the water), pH tests, temperature and observations. We use the information to get a picture of the river in each season and to track any changes over time. Volunteers act as guardians of their streams, notifying the proper authorities if pollution is suspected. Family friendly!

Come out and help other volunteers cleanup the Eno River above Falls Lake. Bags and gloves will be provided. Please register on our Facebook event page or by emailing francis.e.ferrell@usace.army.mil. Some loaner watercraft may be available on a first come first serve basis, please email for details.

Join the Eno River Association for a litter clean up at West Point on the Eno! We will gather at one of the park entrances to distibute litter clean up supplies and form groups to tackle different part of the park. Children must be accompanied by adults at all times. For more details and to RSVP, email Jannette Morris at jannette@enoriver.org.

TOO COLD FOR THE FROGS THIS WEEK- SEE LINK BELOW FOR RESCHEDULED INFO Experience the explosion of spring song and mating activity among Sandy Creek Park’s frogs. Will start 1/2 hour after sundown Led by Dr. Nicolette Cagle and Ron Grunwald from Duke.

Enjoy the evening on the water. We will paddle out to a great sunset view location to watch the sunset and paddle back after the final sun glints have gone. Discover the sights and sounds of the water after dark on this relaxing and fun paddle. $30 Preregistration required.

According to some estimates, between 500 billion and a trillion plastic grocery bags are consumed worldwide EACH YEAR! Many of those bags end up in our rivers and streams, eventually making their way out to the oceans where they where they choke, strangle, and starve wildlife such as sea turtles and seals.

You can do YOUR part to preserve these fragile ecosystems by simple actions such as bringing your own reusable tote bags when you go shopping, or even just refusing a bag when you have only a couple of items.

We want to help you accomplish this goal by giving away FREE reusable tote bags (one per person) when you pledge to reduce or eliminate your use of disposable plastic bags!

Come by Compare Foods on Avondale Dr from 5 to 7 to learn more about the damaging effects of disposable plastic on the environment, make your pledge, and receive your free bag!

Some eastern North Carolinians have been shaken by the discovery that their drinking water supplies contain GenX, a chemical that is suspected of causing health issues but that at present is not regulated. Recently, scientists found similar substances in drinking water supplies in the Triangle. The human health effects of GenX and other perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are unknown. State lawmakers, Gov. Roy Cooper and state agencies are at odds at how to proceed. What are communities and residents supposed to do to make sure their drinking water is safe? If it isn’t safe, what can they ask governments to do to fix the situation? These questions and more will be addressed at a free public forum at the N.C. Central University Law School. Panelists include Alexandra Cornelius, NCCU Law School; Lee Ferguson, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University; Robin Smith, former Assistant Secretary, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Vicki Westbrook, Assistant Director, Department of Water Management, City of Durham; Moderator: Adam Whitaker, NCCU Law School

The Muddy Water Watch is an initiative to reduce sediment pollution and stormwater runoff from construction sites. Partnering with Durham County Sediment and Erosion Control, Haw River Assembly provides training, materials, and the tools necessary for volunteers to properly identify and report sediment and erosion control violations.

Help us celebrate Creek Week by learning about ECWA's work around Durham to reduce stormwater runoff. We will take a walk from Watts Elementary to the old Duke Diet and Fitness Center (the site of the future South Ellerbe Wetland) to tour examples of rain gardens and cisterns. Along the way, we will discuss how rain gardens and cisterns can provide wildlife habitat and benefit the creek.

Originally scheduled for Wednesday, this cleanup is rescheduled for Thursday due to weather. Celebrate Creek Week with Durham Parks and Recreation! DPR will provide canoes and clean up supplies to help keep one of Durham's primary reservoirs, Lake Michie, in pristine shape. This event is appropriate for ages 13 and up (children must be accompanied by an adult). Please dress to be outdoors and wear closed toe shoes. No cost, no pre-registration required.

During Durham's annual Creek Week we will host a kayak and canoe trip designed to create a closer connection and deeper understanding of our "Ecological Address." Along with the first hand experience of plying a local waterway under our own power, we will utilize a variety of maps and resources to help paint a picture of the our region, it's waterways, and our connection and roll within it. $10 Preregistration required.

Join Triangle Land Conservancy and Creek Week partners to hear about ongoing initiatives and ideas that are cleaning up our creeks, conserving the land that filters our water, and planning for tomorrow. Lightning speakers, water expo, free food and beverages.

Interested in learning how Durham keeps its water clean? Join the Durham County Stormwater Management Division on this behind the scenes tour of the county wastewater treatment plant! This tour is limited to 20 people, so sign up today!

Celebrate Durham's Creek Week by joining a park ranger at the Cole Mill access of Eno River State Park. We will take a 1.5 mile hike along Pea Creek Trail and take a gander at some of Durham’s prettiest waterways. Wear good hiking shoes and bring water and a snack.

Join the Eno River Association for a hike during our Spring Wildflower Hike Series. This hike will lead you to a noteworthy natural area called Willie Duke’s Bluff where you see outstanding displays of spring wildflowers, including some that are rare and unusual in our area of the Piedmont. You will also learn some history and geology along the way.

From the Duke Forest Team: Thank you so much for your interest in the Duke Forest and Durham’s Creek Week. Unfortunately, because of the possibility of scattered thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon, we must cancel tomorrow’s event at the Shepherd Nature Trail. If you'd like to stay informed abotu other Duke Forest events, please follow us on Facebookand sign up for our event listserv by clicking here.

The Hub Farm is a 27 acre working farm, forest, and aquatic ecosystem owned by Durham Public Schools. Come out for a walk around the property where we will talk about local watershed dynamics, answer all your educational farming questions, and clean up litter in and around our waterways!

Join Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association this St. Patrick's Day and for the first day of Creek Week, Saturday, March 17th at 10am as we become "Texture Detectives" at the Pearl Mill Nature Preserve. We will explore the preserve and discover all of the different textures in nature.

Meet at the preserve kiosk off of Green Street, or look for us along the Ellerbe Creek Trail!

ECWA’s Family Explorers Club is designed for our 5-year-old and younger friends and their families. Come on out for some fun family time and vitamin N(ature)! We'll share stories, do an activity together, and have plenty of time to explore.

New Hope Creek is a feeder stream that carries trash from Durham to Jordan Lake. Volunteers will work with Clean Jordan Lake to remove trash on east side of impoundment and east side upstream accessed by Durham sewer line easement. Pre-registration required.

Join us as we paddle the northern reaches of Jordan Lake in search of it’s majestic residents, the Bald Eagle. We will explore the lake for 4-5 hours and potentially paddle up to 8 miles. $50 Pre registration required.